The following 17 AFC members were denied participation of their clubs
in the Champions League and AFC Cup, apparently on the grounds of not
being considered either 'mature' or 'developing' in the so-called
'Vision Asia' paper:
Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Guam, Kyrgyzstan,
Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines,
Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Tajikistan.
These 'emerging' nations will be invited to enter their national
team in the bi-annual AFC Challenge Cup starting in 2006.
In addition, the 'AFC Presidents Cup' for club teams from these
countries will start in May 2005. An initial list of participating
countries publised in October 2004 in Nepal (whose representatives
are to be Three Star Club) omitted Brunei and Tajikistan (though
both countries have a well-functioning league).